How to Study the Bible
I remember taking an exam upon my entrance to Dallas Theological Seminary. It is infamous among the
student body. The goal of the test was to calculate our Biblical and theological knowledge at the
beginning of our seminary career. We all take the exact same exam as we exit and graduate. The
difference between the two scores is supposed to quantify the knowledge we gained during our tenure
there. Whether or not the test adequately fulfills its intended goal, I remember approaching the first
exam, as a first-year student, with wide-eyed and arrogant enthusiasm. I was going to break the
seminary records, of course. In fact, there would be an unprecedented hustle behind the large
computerized scan-tron scoring machine when they entered my score card. “Something must be
wrong,” the technician would say. “No one has ever scored this high on the first test. There must be a
mistake.” So they would run it through again and yes, there was a mistake. The score would come out
higher the second time.
Reality humbled me.
I had to gently hound an administrator for my scores and eventually she only reported the percentile of
all test results in which I fell. It was nowhere near the top. In fact, it was right smack in the middle of
ordinary. I was the vanilla of average.
But what I soon discovered was that my ordinary experience and understanding of the Bible would be
transformed into an overwhelming affection for God and His Word. The truth slowly resurrected my
heart and mind to the Scriptures. It was a beautiful beginning to a brand new adventure, no seminary
admission or diploma required.
Perhaps you find yourself on a similar wrung of the knowledge/experience ladder. Perhaps you are
miles ahead or even on the very first one. It doesn’t matter. God’s desire is that we all make progress in
our relationship with Him, getting to know Him and love Him more each day. We do this by spending
time with God, listening to Him and talking back. We spend time with Him primarily by spending time in
His Word. So let’s get to it.
The hope for this brief reference is to both aid and inspire the Christian of any age and experience to fall
in love with God all over again through study of His Word. As with many of the other things I write,
please consider this a tool. Use it as you see fit. It can become anything from a one-time reference to a
slow-paced workbook. Whatever form it takes, the goal is the same: equip you to enjoy God through
His Word on a consistent basis.
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What is Bible study exactly? We talk about it and use these words often, but what do they mean? Why
would we ever approach something like God’s Word in a patterned, or methodical, way? Doesn’t that
seem artificial? Forced?
Yes, it can seem that way. To be honest that is a danger in Bible study. It has happened to many in the
past. Very often, theological students, pastors and professors of Bible or theology slowly, over a period
of years or decades, begin to view the Bible primarily as a textbook, a code to be cracked, an experiment
to be analyzed or even like a dead pear tree that they are desperately trying to bring back to life. Yes,
this is a danger.
But let’s be honest yet again. This danger is not imminent for most of us. Most of us tip-toe on the edge
of the opposite danger, the one on the other end of the spectrum from dry academics. I’m talking about
an intimidation and even fear of reading the Bible at all. Perhaps rather than intimidation, you struggle
with simply lack of desire, indifference or even antagonism towards the Scriptures. If so, you are in
ample company.
The truth about the Scriptures is far from either of these extremes. It is anything but dead and boring
academics. Although it has ineffable depth and beauty, it is not a lifeless experiment fit only for a
laboratory, lecture hall or library. Nor does God intend His Word to be intimidating or fearful. Yes, in
its pages there are high cliffs to be climbed, dangerous waters to be navigated and sharp swords that
pierce and challenge, but every page welcomes the most inexperienced youth as well as the seasoned
scholar. That is its beauty. This feature makes the Bible the most unique piece of literature in human
history. There is quite simply nothing that comes close.
Why Methods?
The word “methods” is indeed plural because there are many approaches and it involves many steps.
Why a method? Why would one need steps or procedures to study the Scriptures? That is a great
question. The answer is in the goal of our study of the Bible. The end result of Biblical study is the most
important aspect of it. Where do we want to end up? What is the specific goal?
I would submit that the following popular goals, even though some are good, are not best:
 Knowledge to teach
 Knowledge to evangelize
 Knowledge for prideful reasons such as superiority, comparison, competition or argument
 Knowledge that fuels self-improvement
The following goals, although not exhaustive, represent God’s intention for our study of His Word:
 Increased love for God
 Increased worship of God
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


Life-change by the transforming work of God’s Holy Spirit
Increased capacity to represent God well by becoming more like His Son Jesus
To familiarize ourselves with The Refuge of Truth and there find consolation, guidance and hope
Let me belabor the point in one final illustration. The difference between these two lists of goals is the
reason why we have a method. A specific method of study produces a corresponding product or result.
Generally speaking, assume that if we do A and B then we will produce C. And if we do X and Y then we
will produce Z. We would never then intentionally try to produce Z by attacking A and B. A specific
method or approach produces a corresponding product. So it is with study of our Bible.
Can you imagine the kind of study method that is geared toward the first list? It would focus on
answering questions, memorization for the sake of conversation ammunition and a potential focus on
legalism and self-righteousness.
Now can you imagine the kind of method that will intentionally produce the second list? It will be
focused on the hard work of understanding God’s intentions in every passage of the Scriptures, asking
questions, application in worship and life-change as well as a reliance on the work of the Holy Spirit.
This is the kind of method we are after. We want to realize these kinds of goals in our study of the Bible.
There are two approaches to Bible Study: Bottom-up or Top-down. These are generally spoke of as
Inductive and Deductive, respectively. Inductive Bible Study, the bottom-up approach, begins by
observing the details of the Bible and examines them unto their logical conclusion. It allows the Bible to
take the lead, or do the talking, so to speak. Inductive Bible Study is the kind of study we will be
discussing in this document.
However, Deductive Bible Study is also useful in its own way. It begins with a proposed conclusion and
tests it by studying the details of Scripture. That is why it is described as a top-down method. This
method, while useful for areas of Systematic Theology, can be significantly troublesome in the pulpit
and in personal study because of the danger of talking to the text, instead of letting the text do the
talking. As is clear from the descriptions, Inductive study is the best approach for overall effectiveness.
What is the Method?
Solid Inductive Bible Study method has at least four steps. These steps build on each other and guide
the student to the best goals of the study. The steps are Observation, Interpretation, Correlation and
Application.
Even though you may recognize and understand these words, do not be discouraged by the fact that
they all rhyme and seem about as much fun as power-washing your driveway. These multi-syllabic steps
are actually life-giving and exciting. Trust me. Or just stick with me long enough to see it for yourself.
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Observation
The first step in good Bible study is the most forgotten. It also happens to be the most important.
Generally, most readers of the Bible jump from simple reading to matters of interpretation. They want
to know what it means. Isn’t that the point after all? Yes, but interpretation is only part of the whole
story. We actually need much more than that. And in order to get more, we must begin with
observation. Simply put, the better our observation of the text, the easier and more effective the rest of
the steps will be.
Wait a second. I’m supposed to observe the Bible? Are you talking about biblical ornithology? (That’s
bird watching, by the way.) And, no I’m not talking about observation like someone looking through
binoculars at a woodpecker. But observation like a scientist is not far off from the intention of this step.
Observation in Bible study simply means that you pay patient attention to the details of the text. You
read and reread. You look for key words, main verbs, connectors and maybe learn more about the
English language in the process. Honestly, I didn’t understand English well until I became a serious
student of my Bible.
Let me quote Dr. Mark Bailey from Dallas Seminary on observation. “The more time you spend in
observation, the less time you have to spend in interpretation and the fewer mistakes you will make.”
He says further, “The more adequate your observations, the more accurate your interpretations and the
more effective your applications.” As you can see, observation is vital.
Are you a good observer? Do you notice details? This comes more easily for some of us than others.
Some of us dreamt about laboratory experiments as a kid. Many of us love the modern phenomenon of
crime-investigative television, where we have to follow the clues to
ascertain the truth. This is observation. If those well-dressed
investigators drove their expensive SUV’s to the crime scene but didn’t do
the hard work of observation, the show would be frustrating and brief.
Are you a good observer? For example, look at the geometric image on
the right. How many squares do you see? Think about it.
If your answer is in the teens, then you are way off.
If you observe that there are actually squares in the image that are larger than the smallest square (for
instance there are sixteen small squares and nine 2x2 squares, etc.), then you will begin to get closer to
the correct answer, which is thirty. This is just a simple example of how challenging observation can be.
In my first year of seminary, I took a class called Bible Study
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Methods, or Hermeneutics. One of our assignments in the class
wonderful things from Your law.
was to apply our study methods to Acts 1:8. “But you will receive
Psalm 119:18
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” We were
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assigned 25 observations based “exclusively on what you see in Acts 1:8.” Luckily my professor stopped
there. Dr. Howard Hendricks would often make his students write 50, and follow it up with another 50.
Maybe you could take a stab at it. How many can you come up with? Remember, these are not
interpretations, but simple observations. Let’s talk more about what observation is in Bible Study.
What exactly do I observe?
Observation of the Biblical text happens on an expanding scale from single terms, to multiple word
phrases, to sentences, to sentence groupings, to paragraphs, to groups of paragraphs or chapters, to an
entire letter or book.
Do you believe that every single word in the Scriptures is important? Do you believe that even the
single-letter article “a,” as in “hammered a nail” is significant? In reality, the presence of an “a” instead
of “the” can be extremely important in the proper context. Picture a hunky C.S.I. finding one unusual
fiber in the middle of an oriental rug. It could break open the case.
As you practice Observation of a Biblical text, try to pay attention to:
Unusual, Difficult, Rare or Theological Words – These kinds of terms are usually significant. Some
words appear only once in the entire Bible. Some were perhaps created by the author for a specific
usage, such as the single word “abundantly-overflowing” in 1 Timothy 1:14. Even in your English
translation, if you can’t remember seeing that word or phrase often, that may be a clue that it is
important and worthy of a closer look. Think about “propitiation” in 1 John 2:2.
Repeated Words – Some words are repeated throughout a paragraph or even a whole letter. These are
very often key terms in the overall theme and argument of the author. For instance, the word
“immediately” appears 39 times in the 16 chapters of the Gospel of Mark. He is clearly trying to
choreograph a high-action and fast-paced retelling of the Jesus story. What about the word “better” in
the book of Hebrews, especially chapter 11?
Connecting Words – When the contrastive “but” begins a sentence rather than a coordinating “and,”
there is a significant difference that must be noted. Look for connectors that identify timing or temporal
connections, emphasis, geographical or local connectors, and logical connectors that help identify
reason, result, purpose, contrast, comparison, etc. These words tend to be on the small side, but their
impact on Bible Study is huge. How important is the word “therefore” in Romans 12:1?
Main Verbs – Verbs, or action words, carry the main thrust of a sentence. They are the heavy lifters in
written literature. Identifying the difference between a main verb and supporting verbs is key. Verb
tense is also a key feature to determine (past, present, future). The subject of the verb, verbal force,
verb tense and object of the verb (person/thing acted upon) are all key features to identify.
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Structure – Often the way a sentence is structured is important. For instance, word order can easily
reflect emphasis; words at the beginning or reserved for the very end of a sentence are often placed
there for sake of added emphasis. (English translations like the New American Standard work to retain
the word order of the original text even when difficult, and can be helpful here.) Look also for a “piling
up” or multiplication of adjectives (words modifying a noun), similar verbs, or adverbs (words modifying
a verb) within sentences. This is another element of structure than needs to be noted.
Relationship – For lack of a better term, this feature describes how phrases or sentences relate to one
another. They are also described as elements of literary composition. For example, phrases or groups
of phrases can serve within any of the following relationships in a sentence: Comparison, contrast,
repetition, continuation, cause, means, introduction, summarization, etc. This describes how the
phrases interact or relate to each other. Matthew 6 is a great chapter to study this feature of
observation in all of the ways listed above and many more.
Beyond these beginning steps, observation on the level of context, logic and argument are also
extremely important when studying a larger section or whole book. These come with practice.
Practice
Working the step of observation can be frustrating for those of us accustomed to functioning in an
immediate world. We often seek the quickest, most convenient way of doing things. Waiting is not
good. This may be why most of us are unfamiliar with observation in Bible Study. It takes time and
effort. Perhaps this Observation outline will be helpful
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Read the passage slowly. Then read through it several more times, prayerfully, thoughtfully.
Ask as many questions of the passage as possible. (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)
Observe words.
Observe structure and relationship.
Try to identify the heart of the passage. What is the central word, phrase or sentence?
Observe how the other words, phrases and sentences relate to/support this central heart?
Work back down from high-level structure and heart to the details again.
Discard unimportant detail or observation and summarize your work by restating it.
Try these texts to start honing your skills of observation.
 1 Samuel 5:1-12
 Luke 10:25-37
 Mark 3:1-6
 Matthew 17:1-13
 Matthew 4:1-11
 John 9:1-11
 Ephesians 4:1-10
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Interpretation
Unlike Observation, this second step is very familiar. In the step of Interpretation, we begin to ask
questions concerning meaning. What does
this text mean? You may enjoy the
As I was saying, that seems to be done right—though I
conversation that Lewis Carroll dreamt up
haven't time to look it over thoroughly just now—and
between Alice and Humpty Dumpty. It
that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four
speaks, even if rather comically, to the idea of
days when you might get un-birthday presents"
meaning.
"Certainly," said Alice.
So, if given the chance, we might object as
Alice did. Who determines meaning? Does
the reader of a document determine its
meaning? Hopefully not. This would lead to
an extremely relative interpretation, which
can be extremely problematic.
Unfortunately, this is a popular approach in
group Bible study. One will often ask, “What
does this text mean to you?” What if
someone understands one meaning and
another a contradictory or disparate
meaning? There must be a more reliable way
to get to the true intended meaning.
Better than the reader’s intent is the author’s
and text’s intent. The author of a text and the
text itself should determine its meaning.
That is, not what we think the author “meant
to say,” but what he actually did say and
write in the document. Combined with a true
understanding of the Bible’s Inspiration by
the Holy Spirit, this approach is the most
objective and reliable. (See 2 Peter 1:20-21)
Luke 24 is an envious account of Jesus
“explaining” to two men all of the things
concerning Himself found in the Scriptures.
What a wonderful conversation to have
eavesdropped on. The word “explained” is
where we get the term Hermeneutics. It is
the science and art of interpretation. And
again to quote Howard Hendricks, it is the
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"And only one for birthday presents, you know.
There's glory for you!"
"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,'" Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course
you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knockdown argument for you!'"
"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knockdown
argument,' " Alice objected.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather
a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to
mean—neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make
words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to
be master—that's all."
Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a
minute Humpty Dumpty began again. "They've a
temper, some of them—particularly verbs: they're the
proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but
not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot of
them! Impenetrability! That's what I say!"
"Would you tell me, please," said Alice, "what that
means?"
"Now you talk like a reasonable child," said Humpty
Dumpty, looking very much pleased. "I meant by
'impenetrability' that we've had enough of that subject,
and it would be just as well if you'd mention what you
mean to do next, as I suppose you don't mean to stop
here all the rest of your life."
"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice
said in a thoughtful tone.
"When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said
Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."
"Oh!" said Alice. She was too much puzzled to make
any other remark.
Lewis Carroll, Through the
Looking Glass, pp.99-100
primary need of Bible study: “To determine what God meant by what God said.” Bernhard Ramm has
said it in a more expansive way: “The primary and basic need of *bible study methods+: to ascertain what
God has said in Sacred Scripture; to determine the meaning of the Word of God.”
How Exactly Do I Interpret?
“Then *Jesus+ opened their minds
Picture a birthday or anniversary present wrapped in several layers
to understand the Scriptures…”
of paper. To get to the treasure inside, you must first unwrap each
Luke 24:45
layer. This is similar to Biblical Interpretation. The first and most
important layer is the immediate context of the passage including the basic paragraph where the text is
found. The second layer is the wider context of the larger section or whole book. The last layer of
interpretation is a study of the context of literature, culture, history, etc. that is outside of our Bible.
The gift inside the wrapping is the meaning as God intended it to be communicated to us.
Let’s look at this first and most critical step: the immediate text or passage and its context.
The Labor of Interpretation
There is significant work to be done in interpreting a Biblical passage of any size. This is true because
the Bible was written long ago, in another place, in another
culture, in other languages, in a different literary genre and
style, and by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Each of these
truths represents a considerable gap or hurdle that we must
overcome in our interpretation of a text. To again quote
Bernhard Ramm, “The second great need for a science of
[bible study methods] is to bridge the gap between our
minds and the minds of the Biblical writers.”
Time – The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years,
and the final part almost 2000 years ago. When was this
specific book, letter, or prophecy written?
Place – Geography weaves its way into culture and language
in intricate and delicate ways.
Culture – The Ancient Near East and Greco-Roman cultures
of the OT and NT are alien to ours. Again, when was this
specific book or letter written? Who is the author? Why
was he writing it?
Language – Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek are clearly and adequately represented by English
translations, but translation from one language to another inevitably loses some nuance of the original.
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Literary – We do not often confuse newspaper articles with novels or personal emails with science
fiction. These represent different genres of literature that are distinct. The OT and NT also contain
distinct genres of writing, each with corresponding characteristics that are crucial for interpretation.
Biblical Genres include: Historical narrative (1 Samuel), prophecy (Amos), wisdom (Proverbs), poetry
(Psalms), gospel (often also called a bios or life-story), epistle (Galatians), apocalyptic (Revelation).
What makes this more complex is that often a particular book includes multiple genres. Revelation for
instance is made up of epistolary, prophetic and apocalyptic genres; perhaps others.
Supernatural – The mysterious work of the Holy Spirit both to write truth through a human author and
communicate that truth to the mind of the Christian reader is yet another facet in our interpretation
because in this step we are asking this same Holy Spirit to teach, illuminate and convey meaning.
But, wait just a second here.
Interpretation shouldn’t be this hard. Isn’t the meaning of the text plain? Isn’t it obvious?
In a word, yes.
But also, no.
These gaps represent significant difficulties in many texts that we read. The problem is really this: with
any given text, the meaning is BOTH plain and deep. This is the nature of a Divine book. God is not
trying to hide meaning, so it should be plain. But it is the Holy Spirit of the eternal God that wrote this
Scripture through the human authors and so it is always deeper and more meaning-ful than we expect.
Add to this the difficulties of the gaps, and we’ve got a significant but joyous task before us.
Try this passage on for size.
Matthew 19:3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce
his wife for any reason at all?"
This is simple isn’t it? The Pharisees were asking Jesus about divorce. True.
They were questioning Him about legal reasons to allow a divorce. True.
They were asking Him if any reason is acceptable for a divorce. True.
Here this meaning is plain. It is obvious.
However, what you may not know unless you labor to understand the culture, background and language
of the text is that a divorce “for any reason” had a long and colorful background among the Jews of
Jesus’ day. It was actually a specific kind of divorce. Because of a rabbinical teaching tradition based off
of Deuteronomy 24:1ff, certain Jews thought it was legal for a man to divorce his wife literally “for any
reason at all.” If she burnt supper, and it displeased him, he could divorce her. If he didn’t like the color
of her dress…well, you get it. This information makes the Pharisees’ question and Jesus’ response much
more meaning-ful and interesting. This background only comes by the hard work of interpretation,
bridging the gaps.
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Tools of Interpretation
Just like observation tools, there are a small bag of implements that help us understand meaning in
interpretation. Here are a few of the big-hitters.
Meditation – Just like with observation, the step of interpretation is best served with a healthy helping
of patience. We must become accustomed to slowing down when we study our Bible. We must be
patient investigators of the beautiful truth that God reveals in His Word. It is worth it.
Word Studies – Don’t be intimidated by this idea. To study a word is not just for seminary students or
egg-heads. Meanings and usage of individual words are absolutely critical to interpretation. Words
also, and almost always, contain an instructive range of meaning. The GOAL is to discover the meaning
of words, NOT to assign words with meaning. This is a critical distinction.
With some simple resources listed below, try to study words in this simple way:
1. How is this word used in the sentence?
2. Is this specific word used elsewhere in the immediate context? How?
3. Is this word used elsewhere in the same book/letter? How?
4. Is this word used elsewhere by the same author? How?
5. Is this word used elsewhere by other authors?
6. How does this information help me clarify meaning in the passage I am studying?
This simple format of word study will open up an unexpected beauty in your study of God’s Word.
Figures of Speech – Break a leg. I’m not sure where that came from, but we recognize it for what it is.
We are not hoping for someone to snap their femur, but actually to do well. This is a figure of speech
and the Bible is full of them. To understand them in their context and culture will reveal their intent.
The most common figures are simile (uses “like”) and metaphor, but there are many other kinds.
Example: What does “cause your face to shine” mean in Psalm 80 and Deuteronomy 6:25?
Person/Place Names – These are often very meaningful, especially in the Old Testament. A good Bible
will often help you with these meanings and translations in the margin. Example: What does the name
“Isaac” mean and how does it relate to the story in Genesis 18 and 21? You’ll crack up at that one.
Structure and Synthesis – As you progress through a Biblical book or letter, try hard to maintain the
forest for the trees. The meaning of individual words, phrases and sentences support the overall
argument and are really meaning-less without the big picture. Context is everything. It may help to
keep notes as you study. Try to continually hone and refine your understanding of the overall message
of the book and how each section supports it. Try to indentify the key verse or verses and synthesize
your thoughts as you go.
Resources – For a serious student of the Bible, access to and familiarity with a couple key resources is
critical. Don’t be scared of these. Many are written on a popular level for a lay audience.
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First of all, a good Bible is absolutely essential. You should own one that fits your age range and
reading level. Prefer those that offer cross references and perhaps study notes. These are often
very helpful (see the WARNING below as it applies to study notes).
A Concordance is a great second step. This tool will allow you to easily track word usage in the
word-study steps mentioned above. A Lexicon (essentially a dictionary that focuses on Biblical
words) will take it to the next level by defining the range of meaning and usage of a word.
Next you will need several good Introductions, which is a technical term for overview. A good
one for the OT and a good one for the NT is a great start. This will help you get a summary of
each book, including brief discussions of author, date, occasion, etc.
Beyond this you will eventually want to build your library by adding Theologies and
Commentaries on specific books as extended and specific reference tools (I highly recommend
the FREE commentary notes on every book of the Bible at www.soniclight.com).
Get these resources at Amazon, www.cbd.com or check them out for free in our church library.
WARNING : With written works from any author and especially online resources, READ CRITICALLY.
Filter what you read through a biblical grid and Spirit-led discernment as you develop them. The Bible is
the only book that is without error. That means that every other one gets it wrong somewhere.
Practice
Robert Traina, in his great resource Methodical Bible Study, outlines phases of Interpretation and breaks
them down into three basic steps. Because of their simplicity, I will repeat them here.
1. Interpretive Questions
Based on your observation of terms, structure, etc. in the first study method step, you will begin
to form as many specific and relevant questions of the text as possible. Over time, this will
become intuitive and internal. Interpretive questions may look like this: What is meaning of this
term, this structure, this form, this context? Why is the larger reason for stating it this way?
How are these two clauses related? Who is he talking about? Who is speaking? What is the
sense of this verb? Why does he speak in the negative rather than the positive? What? When?
Where? Why?
2. Interpretive Answers
Based on the plethora of questions generated, now we begin to answer them. This is the heart
of interpretation. This relies on many factors besides the hard work mentioned above. It
depends on the miracle of illumination by the Holy Spirit. This is God opening your mind to the
meaning of His Word. We should first and always PRAY for God to reveal Himself and teach us
through His Word. It also relies on common sense, intelligence and experience. The hard work
we already mentioned composes the objective “meat” of interpretation. We employ all of these
methods to press on to answers. This process must be patient, thorough and methodical. It
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may happen quickly for a given
passage; however you may also
find you enjoy investing time.
The advertisement for Adler’s
book on the right illustrates this
process of questioning.
3. Interpretive Summary
This final step is the important
work of synthesizing and
summarizing your work in order
to arrive at the main message of
the passage. The parts must be
assembled together to form a
whole, and the whole must be in
line with the larger message of
the book and even the higher
message of the Bible. It may help
to list the main truths you have
discovered, state the main theme
or message of the passage,
outline the passage, paraphrase it
or even illustrate it in art or
diagrams.
Try to apply these principles and steps of
interpretation to these familiar texts:
 Psalm 23
 Romans 8
 Luke 15
 Matthew 4:1-11
 Psalm 1
 1 Timothy 1:3-17
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This advertisement appeared beneath a picture of puzzled
young boy reading a letter. It was promoting the new
book by Mortimer Adler entitled How to Read a Book. It
appeared in The New York Times, April 10, 1940
How to Read a Love Letter
This young man has just received his first love letter. He
may have read it three or four times but he is just
beginning. To read it as accurately as he would like, would
require several dictionaries and a good deal of close work
with a few experts of etymology and philology.
However, he will do all right without them.
He will ponder over the exact shade of meaning of every
word, every comma. She has headed the letter ‘Dear
John.’ What, he asks himself, is the exact significance of
those words? Did she refrain from saying ‘Dearest’
because she was bashful? Would ‘My Dear’ have sounded
too formal?
Jeepers, maybe she would have said ‘Dear So-and-So’ to
anybody!
A worried frown will now appear on his face. But it
disappears as soon as he really gets to thinking about the
first sentence. She certainly wouldn’t have written that to
anybody!
And so he works his way through t he letter, one moment
perched blissfully on a cloud, the next moment huddled
miserably behind an eight-ball. It has started a hundred
questions in his mind. He could quote it by heart. In fact,
he will – to himself – for weeks to come.
How to Study the Bible
The first part of this resource covered the first two steps of our Bible Study Method Plan: Observation
and Interpretation. In it we learned that the step of Observation is the stop most people forget or
misunderstand. It prepares us for solid Interpretation. “Observation is discovery; Interpretation is
digesting. Observation means depicting what is there, and Interpretation is deciding what it means.”
The second part of How to Study the Bible will cover steps 3 and 4: Correlation and Application.
To remind us of the overall purpose of our study, allow Roy B. Zuck to speak again from his instructive
work Basic Bible Interpretation. “Bible study is an intellectual pursuit in which we seek understanding of
what God says. But Bible study must go beyond that to include spiritual discipline, in which we see to
put into practice what we read and understand. Heart appropriation, not merely head apprehension, is
the true goal of Bible study.”
This reminder will help realign our “pursuit” as we discuss Correlation and ultimately Application.
Correlation
This step of Bible study methods tries to see the passage under review in the greater and grander scope
of the whole Bible. It is the art of seeing the Bible as a whole. Along with Observation, step one, this is
the most forgotten step of solid study methods. It logically follows adequately examined observation
and interpretation and it provides a solid basis for thoroughly Biblical application, our fourth and final
step.
Correlation, of course, means to connect. It is the
work of recognizing relationships and as such is
closely related to Interpretation. Some actually
consider this step as a part of Interpretation.
Although we are treating it differently here,
Correlation and Interpretation should be understood
as partners in methodical Bible study. One leads to
the other. One informs the other. Each sharpens and
clarifies our goal of determining accurate meaning
and transforming application.
As a critical partner to Interpretation, we will touch on a few very important aspects of Correlation,
including: Cross-Referencing, Use of the Old Testament within the New Testament (including Old
Testament types and allusions), New Testament use of other New Testament teaching, themes,
vocabulary, and finally, developing principles that bridge interpretation and application.
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Cross Referencing is an extremely important facet of good interpretation and correlation. A good Bible
will go a long way in facilitating this skill.
TEXT BODY
The image here illustrates this tool well.
First locate the corresponding chapter (and
sometimes verse) in the margin. Next,
notice that several key words or phrases will
be notated with small letters that
correspond to other reference passages
listed in the margin. Connect the dots. For
MARGIN
example, here in Psalm 23, the phrase “my
shepherd” (most often the word or phrase
immediately following the small letter is
intended in the reference) is designated
with the superscript a. In this case the
a
superscript in the margin leads you to
three passages: John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:25;
Revelation 7:17. In each of these passages
you will find similar uses of “shepherd.” Finally, repeat these steps in John 10, 1 Peter 2 and Revelation
7 and you may see a reference to Psalm 23, but hopefully other passages will be listed there and your
study will continue. After reading all of these passages (some of which may only relate in vocabulary
alone, others in larger theme and context) a clarified picture of the text and context in your original
passage emerges.
Specific types of Bibles specialize in including
abundant cross references. Free online or
inexpensive hard-back concordances will take
your cross-referencing study even further.
A study of cross references in wording and
vocabulary as well as character and theme
leads directly to the fascinating topic of Use
of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
Let me first say, specialized scholars devote
their whole lives to this subject and an
increasing amount of expensive academic
books are produced on the subject each
year. That being said, this facet of Bible
Study remains accessible and profitable for
even the beginner.
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This image is a visual representation of Biblical cross references.
The long line at the bottom middle is Psalm 119, the longest
chapter in the Bible. The colored arcs represent clear cross
references from chapter to chapter, over 63,000 of them. When
you factor in allusion, which is more difficult to track than clear
references or quotes, this large number may double or triple.
There authors of the New Testament used the Old Testament in diverse ways. They include:
 Simple quotation – Hebrews 1:5-13; Matthew 2:15
 Clear reference without quotation – John 1:17; Matthew 19:3 (refers to Deuteronomy 24:1)
 Veiled reference or allusion – John 1:51 (refers to Genesis 28:10ff)
 Analogy or Illustration – James 5:17 uses Elijah to illustrate a man of prayer
 Type and Antitype (examined below)
When a faithful Bible student comes across an element of a text or longer passage that may be a use of
the Old Testament within the New (or use of other writings within the same testament and time period),
several key questions must be investigated:
o How is the reference/quotation/allusion used?
o Why is it used in the present context?
o What about the author’s purpose is benefitted by this usage?
o What about the original context of the referenced material is pertinent to the text studied?
o How would this reference have been received by the original audience?
The literary tools of Type and Antitype are also common features of the Bible, as well as the source of
common abuses by its readers. Throughout the history of the church there have been many who see
deep spiritual significance and Biblical relevance in the number of hinges on the doors of Solomon’s
sanctuary or the two coins that the Good Samaritan gave to the innkeeper. These are not true Biblical
types. A Type is an element of literature that resembles and corresponds to something else. The
Antitype is the counterpart, literally “answering to the type,” and is that to which the Type refers.
Perhaps some examples of Biblical types will help clarify this sometimes difficult concept. Think about:
Melchizedek and Christ (Hebrews 7:3ff); the Passover feast and Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7;
etc.); the Feast of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28; Acts 2); the Old Testament
Tabernacle and Christ/our access to and fellowship with God (Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 9:23ff).
WARNING: Not all things that refer or resemble something else are types. It is a slippery slope to begin
seeing correspondence behind every story and illustration. Roy B. Zuck in Basic Bible Interpretation
helpfully instructs that Types have the following characteristics:
 Resemblance – A natural and significant correspondence between type and antitype, not a
superficial or shallow relationship.
 Historical Reality – Based in actual persons, places, things, events. Types rise naturally out of
the text and are not something read into the text by the student.
 Prefiguring – Types have a forward focus, a predictive or foreshadowing nuance.
 Heightening – From type to antitype there is escalation, increase. The true antitype is always
superior to its type.
 Divine Design – Types are resemblances planned in the mind of God, not merely analogous
references invented or contrived in the (sometimes fickle) mind of man.
 Validation by the New Testament – Scripture must indicate or designate the type in some way.
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New Testament use of other New Testament teachings, themes, wording and phrasing, as well as Old
Testament use of the Old Testament is yet another facet of Correlation and generally follows the same
principles and guidelines as Use of the OT in the NT above.
What is the Goal?
Let’s be honest and remember that in our Bible Study we are headed somewhere. We have a goal in
mind. We want accurate meaning and true transformation in our personal lives, in addition to the
ability and responsibility to minister to others these same goals.
One of the chief goals of Correlation is to synthesize the hard work of the first three steps of methodical
Bible study. This synthesis should produce principles and themes that bridge the gaps of time, place,
culture, language and literature.
A Principle is “an outstanding and abiding truth that is not limited to a moment in time.” Let me offer
an example: Humans are corrupt and sinful. After the fall into sin in Genesis 3, this statement is a
universal truth. It is a principle. The rest of the Bible corroborates this truth.
Establishing principles from the text is not the same as “spiritualizing” the text. My professors in
seminary would remind us countless times, “principlize, don’t spiritualize.” This means that as students
of the Bible we are to try hard not to force every teaching into some preconditioned and mystical
interpretive box. The task is to connect the “then” Biblical world to the “now” contemporary world
without losing any meaning or significance. Confusingly, this is simple work as well as being very
difficult work.
Think about these two necessities as you extract principles from the text you’re studying:
 Complete familiarity with the text and its context (this means the hard work of steps 1 and 2)
 An ability to think with the whole text and context in mind
Proceed with these helpful steps:
 Ask simple diagnostic questions of the text: Who, what, when, where, why, how?
 Record all the truths contained in the text.
 Group these truths by subject
 Determine the central, major, guiding truths and the secondary, non-central ones
 Reword these central truths into simple sentences that will begin to form principles
 Principles are simple, positive statements of fact, written in the third person.
Practice
This brief () discussion forms the skeleton of a sincere study of Biblical Correlation. Work your way
through the skills and elements mentioned in this section in these beautiful passages: John 5;
Hebrews 1; Revelation 4-5. In them (as any) you will find good fodder for study. Pray. Think. Write.
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Application
One of my favorite seminary professors and mentors would often say “Truth not lived is truth not
learned.” That is a nice and neat way of saying just
how essential application is to Bible Study. This is
where the rubber meets the road. Action time.
Before we begin to explain our final step, let’s pause for
a moment and remember what is at stake and why we
are reading a document like this. Throughout our study
I’ve tried to illustrate common pitfalls in popular Bible
study methods. We’ve noticed a few already and here
in Application we see perhaps the most devastating.
 Most people completely overlook the step of Observation
 Interpretation becomes the first and last step for many and is often mishandled
 Correlation is misunderstood and rarely applied in a significant way
 Application (life change) is difficult and often exchanged for simply increased Knowledge
Arriving here at our final step actually helps us make sense of where we have been in the previous three.
Observation really allows the text to speak to us. It curbs our sometimes capricious and unconscious
way of interfering. Interpretation furthers this process by
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is
using methods and tools that help us to determine the
inspired by God and profitable for
meaning of the text. Correlation furthers and clarifies this
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
process of determining meaning as well as prepares us for
training in righteousness; so that the
landing the plane in the entire intention of the Bible itself.
man of God may be adequate,
Application then translates the principles of Correlation into
equipped for every good work.
practices. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reveals this intention: Life
Change, instruction that leads to truth, equipping for good works and making one adequate for this task.
This is Application. This is our ultimate goal. Bible study is incomplete until true Application is discerned
and appropriated.
Howard Hendricks in his popular and worthwhile book on Bible Study Methods, Living By the Book,
repeats a similar warning about misunderstanding application. “The Bible was not written to satisfy
your curiosity; it was written to transform your life. The ultimate goal of Bible study is not to do
something to the Bible, but to allow the Bible to do something to you, so truth becomes tangent to life.”
Look up Joshua 1:8 and Ezra 7:10 and meditate on what you find there. How do these passages speak
to application?
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Where Does Application Begin?
What is the purpose of Application? It may seem obvious but let us state it clearly, for the purpose of
Application defines our pursuit of it. One of my seminary professors summed it up in three important
terms. Relevance: Application makes the facts of the Bible meaningful to your personal life.
Realization: Application promotes Living Truth instead of simply learning truth. And Response:
Application calls for a commitment to the truth rather than simple consideration.
Prayer
Did you see that word coming? Prayer? Do not overlook or underestimate the power and relevance of
prayer in Bible Study. I have tried to mention this throughout the study, but lest you gloss over it,
permit a repeating. I have personally experienced, time and time again, the absolute necessity of prayer
in Bible study. I have studied without prayer (before, during and finally), and I have studied through, in
and with prayer. The results and transformation are starkly different in each situation. We MUST begin
with prayer as we sit to open our Bible. We must pause when we come to certain trouble spots or
overwhelmingly magnificent revelations. We must conclude with prayer for continual life change and
transformation.
Soaked and steeped in prayer, Application begins as every other step in Bible Study begins, by asking
questions. We are simply asking: How does this truth apply to my life? What does it demand of me?
Roy B. Zuck, again from Basic Bible Interpretation, offers some helpful pointers as we begin to ask
questions of all that we’ve learned through the first three steps.
o Build applications on interpretations
o Determine what was expected of the original audience
o Base applications on elements present day readers (that’s you) share with the original audience
o See the principle in the text
o Think of the principle as an implication of the text and as a bridge to application
o Write out specific action-responses
o Rely on the Holy Spirit
A list of simple Application Questions may be the easiest reminder and Bible Study help. A list of
questions that you can ask any and every text of the Bible may begin like this:
 Is there a command to obey?
 Is there a sin to avoid or confess?
 Is there a promise to place faith in?
 Is there a person to emulate or examples to follow?
 Is there a person that is a negative example of what to avoid?
 Is there a godly characteristic to appropriate?
 Is there a correction necessary to my thinking?
 Is there an activity I need be involved in?
 Is there a passage to commit to memory?
 How can I respond to God in worship from this truth?
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

How does this text lead me to pray?
What does this text demand of/for my relationships?
Can you think of other questions to add to this list? Consider printing it out or writing it in the inside
cover of your Bible or perhaps on a bookmark as a reminder.
Application is not rocket science, it actually comes easily when you prepare your heart and mind
properly.
One of my closest friends studies his Bible with two different color pens. The blue pen is used for the
first three steps of Bible Study Methods. His seminary training and immense ministry experience has
helped him excel in these areas. The red pen is used to record and work on Application. At the end of
his study time, the page or pages before him can be easily discerned. Was he focused entirely on
meaning in blue ink? If there is little red ink, then he sits back down to meditate further and prayerfully
work out true application. His goal is life change, not simply knowledge.
Maybe you can consider adopting a similar game plan.
Where do I start in Bible Study?
Okay, after all of this discussion (some of it rather academic and lengthy, I admit), where in the world do
I start? Perhaps you actually feel MORE intimidated by the Bible than before you began reading this
resource. Maybe you feel more distant than ever before from the living Word of God.
Press through that. Pray through it. Reject it as false intimidation and shallow distance. It is not true.
Step One is the Only Step and therefore the most important: Schedule time to read God’s Word.
That’s all you really have to do. If you are IN the Bible, then God’s Word will do God’s Work. Combine
simple presence with a conscious intention to study it well and…well, that’s all you really need. These
two ingredients: presence and intention combine to form a marvelous explosion of truth and grace in
the life of the believer.
It really doesn’t matter where you start reading, but if you need some suggestions, try one of the four
Gospels (my favorite is John) and the book of Psalms at the same time. Read the Gospel at your own
pace, repeating the same section several times to slow yourself down. Read the Psalms one or two at a
time, again repeating the same ones for several readings to maximize impact. Move from there to the
book of Acts and/or the letters of Paul. You really can’t go wrong.
If you are up for something more challenging try a minor prophet (“minor” simply refers to the size of
the written material, not the impact or value; thus “minor prophet” equals “smaller books of prophecy”)
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and practice your Interpretation skills in the background of the book. Try wisdom books like Ecclesiastes
or Proverbs, working hard to understand how that specific genre works.
Again, it doesn’t matter where you begin. Just begin.
Presence.
Intention.
I pray that your labor in the Word of God is the greatest adventure of your life. May God richly bless you
as you press into Him through His Word.
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